Angel Academy
by S.J. Weasley
Summary: Semi-AU. Jalec slash. Basic idea: Jace has lived at Raziel Academy since he was seven, and he's desperate to get out and hunt demons. When new kid Alec moves in, however, he begins to want nothing more than to stay. Story is better, promise.
1. Close Encounters of the First Kind

Three hundred male Shadowhunters stood in a series of rows, their hands over their hearts and speaking the same words at a time. These words were specially chosen straight from the Shadowhunter's Codex. In their standard uniform, the black blazers with gold buttons, a black button up shirt, red tie, and black pants, they looked like robots, designed for a specific job. Everyone was there, prudent and following directions. Everyone except, of course, Jace Wayland.

He had lost track of time and was, subsequently, running across the campus, his cheeks red as the wind hit them. His hair had to look disgusting, as he wasn't able to shower that morning, and his uniform was very nonuniform indeed; his blazer was unbuttoned and his shirt left untucked. He slammed into the assembly hall just as everyone was finishing their oath. He could feel the irritated glares of the professors around him and even some of the students as he took his seat, but it was all meaningless. He'd been to this same assembly exactly 1,920 times. Way more than anyone else here.

Jace had been taken here when his father died, when he was seven. It was amazing how fast he'd grown to hate it.

While his father used more of a hands-on teaching method, Raziel Academy was hell-bent on drilling as much information into your head as possible before they unleashed you on any demons.

But Jace was more than ready. He'd been ready for the last nine years. He kept telling himself that there was only one more year of this he had to deal with, then he was gone. This, however, did nothing for his yearning to leave. Which was probably why he snuck out every night.

When Assembly was over, Jace took his time getting out of the room, but then heard his name being called. Well, more like hissed.

"Jace," hissed Professor Caulk, waving him over. Jace sighed and walked over to him, bowing his head in standard greeting. It was very sloppy, but Caulk knew he was lucky to get just that.

Professor Caulk was the head of Asher House, the house Jace was boarded in. He pretended like he didn't like Jace, but the younger Shadowhunter knew he saw him as a son.

"What is your excuse today, Mr. Wayland?" Caulk asked, crossing his arms over his chest. A clipboard dangled from his left hand.

Jace thought for a moment. "I didn't think one through on the way here. Perhaps you could forgive my lack of creativity, just this once?"

Professor Caulk sighed, frowning. However, he dropped the subject and carried on to a new one. "You remembered you're getting a roommate today, didn't you, Jace?"

Jace raised his eyebrows, irritation sketched onto his finely-drawn features. "What? I didn't know that."

Caulk frowned. "I told you two weeks… Never mind, I'm telling you now. So get your room straightened up, because I'm sending him down in an hour."

Jace pursed his lips, but nodded. Maybe it would be more interesting if he had a roommate. "What's his name?"

Caulk looked at the clipboard he was holding, his eyes scanning down the list. "Lightwood. Alexander Lightwood."

**X.X.X.X**

Alexander entered just as Jace had finished cleaning up. He stood in the threshold of the room, holding his bags. Shifting awkwardly on his feet, he seemed intent on not looking at Jace. The light-haired Nephilim raised his eyebrows.

"Are you Alexander?" he asked, his eyes sweeping across the boy's lithe body. He definitely was far from horrible looking, and Jace was a sucker for black hair and blue eyes. However, Jace wasn't gay, and he really didn't plan on being the clichéd boy who turned gay while he was in an all-male school because there was no one else around to get him off. He just liked things that were aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

The boy's dark hair fell into his eyes as he glanced up at Jace. His eyes grew wide for a moment before he flushed and looked down again. "I-I prefer Alec."

Jace nodded, taking the bags from Alec's hands. Their fingers brushed, and he raised his eyebrows when Alec jolted. After a few seconds, he brushed it off and set Alec's bags on the bare bed. Alec followed silently, standing next to him with his arms crossed. "Well, I'm Jace Wayland. And I have a few rules I'd like to share with you. Sit."

Alec sat immediately, and Jace cracked a smile that quickly vanished. He paced back and forth as he spoke. "Rule one: my stuff is off limits unless I say so. Rule two: Do not, under any circumstances, set an alarm clock. I will, without hesitation, smash it into a thousand pieces. I have an internal alarm clock, and I promise I will wake you up in the morning. Rule three: keep your stuff on your side of the room.

"And rule four… Well, its not so much a rule as it is squashing any expectations you have of me. While I am entirely fantastic to look at and very able to make you pass out laughing, or die of embarrassment, as a result of my witty remarks, I don't do emotions. So if you were expecting us to be BFFs and spend our time painting each others' nails and talking about our feelings, you were sorely mistaken. Any questions?"

Jace stopped walking and looked down at Alec. He was slightly surprised to see that his roommate was wearing an amused smile.

"What? Is there a problem?" Jace asked, his eyes narrowing. Alec's smile grew, though the change was almost unnoticeable.

"Not at all, sergeant," he replied, the sarcasm in his voice very tangible. "I'm just trying to remember when I signed up for the army."

Jace smirked. "You were drafted. Welcome to hell, Lightwood."


	2. Jace the Mentor

"Rise and shine, private!" Jace yelled, shaking Alec. The latter moaned and threw a book at Jace's head, which he quickly dodged, raising his eyebrows.

"You could have warned me that you aren't a morning person," he muttered before throwing Alec over his shoulders. Alec yelped in surprise, and Jace began to carry him to the bathroom. When he set Alec in the bathtub, the dark haired boy still looked disoriented. Jace turned on the cold water, and Alec's eyes grew wide before he squealed, jumping up and hurrying out of the tub.

"What the _hell_?" he exclaimed, and Jace smiled innocently.

"Oh, good. You're up. School starts in forty-five minutes. You have first period with me, so I'll talk you through the day while we walk."

As Jace walked out of the bathroom, a smirk appeared on his lips. This was due to the fact that, behind him, Alec had muttered, "I thought Hell was supposed to be warmer than this."

**X.X.X.X**

When Alec emerged from the bathroom about a half an hour later, he found Jace tossing a baseball against the wall. Every time it hit, there was a loud thump.

"Wayland! What the fuck are you doing?" someone from the room next to them yelled.

Jace's tossing didn't cease as he yelled back. "Sorry, Wendell! If you want it to stop, tell your mom not to ride me so hard!"

There was silence, and Alec snickered. Jace turned around and grinned at him.

"Well, well. There's Sleeping Beauty," he said, tossing the ball one more time so it made its loudest thud yet before getting up and grabbing his messenger bag. "Come on. Let's get to class."

Alec's initial impression of Jace was that he was absolutely stunning. If he'd ever seen anyone look exactly how an angel should, it was Jace. Then he realized how funny he was. Despite the lack of emotion thing, which Alec recognized as complete and utter bullshit, Jace seemed perfect.

He flushed slightly when he realized Jace was talking to him.

"- which I guess means that I'm kind of your mentor, or whatever. Don't know why they would want me to mentor anyone in anything but the art of being irresistible, but it's not my decision to make.

"So, you have your four houses, which you're put in based on your interests. Have you ever read Harry Potter?" - Alec nodded - "That's kind of what its like here. Carroll's for the freakishly intelligent, the equivalent to Ravenclaw; I'm talking, like, above genius IQs. They'll probably end up working for the Clave or becoming a professor at one of the Academies.

"Next you have Flinn, who are totally the Hufflepuffs of Raziel. They stick people in there who really just don't belong anywhere specifically. The jacks of all trades, so to speak.

"Of course, we have to have our Slytherins. Doyle is where they put all the fucked up little cretins with a ton of money. About ninety-percent hate Downworlders and mundanes. Also, Doyle has a huge rivalry with Asher. It would be best if you steered clear of anyone from there.

"Last but certainly not least is the lovely Asher House. I guess we're like Gryffindor, only bravery is more like us being stupid. And we want to kill a lot of things. Demons, certain Downworlders, guys from Doyle… But that's beside the point. We're the closest to Gryffindor on campus. Got it?"

Alec felt a little dizzy, since Jace had been talking a little too fast, but he nodded. "Carroll equals Ravenclaw, Flinn equals Hufflepuff, Doyle equals Slytherin, and Asher equals Gryffindor."

"Last one is a moot point," Jace reminded him, but nodded appreciatively. Then he launched into a detailed explanation of where classes were and what to expect, but Alec was only half listening. Still, it gave Alec another excuse to stare at Jace. He memorized the lines of his face, from his strong jaw line to his golden eyes. His eyes impulsively landed on Jace's beautiful, plump lips. He found himself getting distracted, before Jace's hand slamming into his back forced him to reenter reality.

"Alec! Wake up, man. We're almost to class," Jace scolded with a raise of his eyebrows. Alec flushed and looked down.

"Right… What class is this?"

Jace sighed, exasperated. "I just told you. Demonology."

"Right," Alec muttered again, following Jace into the class. If he wanted to keep being Jace's roommate, Alec would have to stop being so God damn distracted by his roommate's perfect face. This, however, Alec recognized as possibly impossible, due to the fact that Jace signaled his departure by blowing Alec a kiss.

"Don't worry. Even the straightest guys in the universe can't help but admire me."

Alec turned scarlet.

**X.X.X.X**

As it turned out, Jace and Alec only had two classes together. And Jace was happy to see that, despite his roommate's obvious reserved nature, he'd made a few friends. But now was gym. And he was fucking_ pumped_.

The class wasn't really called 'gym', of course. That was too mundane for Raziel Academy. No, it was 'Advanced Physical Education of Predator Versus Prey', but everyone called it gym for obvious reasons. This was the last class out of the day, and also one out of the two classes Jace had with Alec. He was curious to see if his roommate was any good with hunting. Sure, all Nephilim were, but some were much better than others. Like Jace. He knew, as did everyone else, that he was the best there was.

After everyone had gathered, Coach Blake called Alec up to the front. "So, Mr. Lightwood, what are you best at?"

Alec blushed, and Jace had to chuckle. The kid was so socially awkward that it became endearing.

"I'm… I'm not bad with a bow and arrow," he stammered, and some guys snickered. There was a serious lack of people overly proficient in archery in the Shadowhunter world. Probably because the Nephilim loved to attack their enemies head on as opposed to from afar.

Coach, however, shrugged. "Alright then. Grab a bow and arrows and we'll see what you can do."

After Alec had done just that, Coach had moved him about thirty feet away from the target. Alec pulled back the string, about three inches, before he stopped.

"Can I move back?" he asked. Coach raised an eyebrow.

"Why?"

Alec flushed. "Because this is too easy."

If it had been anyone else, Jace would have thought the guy was showing off. But this was Alec, and Jace knew better. Coach chuckled.

"Go for it."

Alec moved another fifteen or so feet back, and took a deep breath before pulling back the string. Jace found himself staring at the curves of Alec's back, watching as his shoulder blades moved. Jace had always had a weird thing for backs.

Alec let the string go, and the arrow went whizzing through the air until it landed - in the center of the bullseye. There was a chorus of 'Holy shit's and 'oh my God's, and Jace was surprised when he felt proud. That was _his _roommate, and _his _friend. He belonged to Jace.

Suddenly, Jace wondered what exactly he'd gotten himself into when he agreed to room with Alec.


	3. Jealousy and Rivalry

I just want to quickly thank you all for the sweet reviews, especially Noverael. I wish you could have seen the huge smile on my face when I read your reviews. They absolutely made my day. :)

Also, sorry for the shortness. I don't like to put more than one main idea in a chapter.

* * *

"Hey, Alec! Get your ass over here!"

Alec turned to see Jace flagging him down, the guys around him smirking. Smiling slightly, Alec began to make his way over to the table. He hadn't seen Jace since earlier that morning, in Demonology. Alec had to skip gym on account of the fact he was taking a test pretty much all day. They forced you to take it to decide whether or not you needed extra help from some of the peer tutors. Alec had been sure of pretty much all his answers except for the ones about Shadowhunter literature. He hadn't known that Edgar Allan Poe was a Shadowhunter, nor did he know that Lewis Carroll had been one. Since he knew he failed that part of the test, he wondered who his tutor would be.

Alec was almost to the table when he was cut off by a guy he recognized from gym. He'd been quite impressed by the boy's looks then, and even more so now that he was in his school uniform.

The guy smiled, extending his hand. "Hey, Alec. It's nice to meet you. I'm Ben Galloway."

Alec shook his hand, all the while discreetly checking him out. He had fluffy, light brown hair and dark brown eyes, and the only way Alec could describe him was 'pretty'. Alec definitely found him attractive.

"It's nice to meet you too. You're in my gym class, aren't you?"

Ben smiled. "Yeah. You're a fantastic archer, by the way."

Alec flushed, smiling dumbly. By the Angel, was he really acting this way just because a guy was cute? And flattering him? ... Well, yeah. Who wouldn't? "Oh, thank you."

"I mean it. You're great," Ben assured him with a smile before putting his hand on Alec's shoulder for a moment. "Well, I guess I'll see you around."

Alec grinned, feeling a bit lightheaded. "Yeah. Sure thing."

Ben grinned back. _I hope so_, he thought.

**X.X.X.X**

During this exchange, Jace was scowling and staring down Alec and Ben. Justin, his next door neighbor in Asher, chuckled.

"Look at him, guys. He's positively oozing green."

There were chuckles of agreement from Matt and Craig, who were sitting across the table from Jace.

"I didn't know you swayed that way, Jace," Matt said, cocking an eyebrow. Jace quickly snapped out of his jealous glare, but not before Alec had locked eyes with him. While Alec had looked flustered, then curious when he noticed Jace's intense gaze, Jace had been wondering what the hell was wrong with him. The thing he felt couldn't be jealousy. There was absolutely no way. He'd known Alec for, what, a day? And he was straight. He shouldn't feel anything towards Alec but slight friendship. Because they had only known each other for a _day_.

"Please. You know I'd fuck your sister if you let me," Jace snapped, and Justin clucked his tongue. Jace knew what that meant. It meant he was about to say something asshole-ish. But before he could, Alec appeared, sitting down next to Jace.

"Hey," he said, smiling. Jace frowned at him. In the back of his mind, he very much wished that smile was for him.

"What were you doing talking to Bennett Galloway?"

Alec's smile faltered. Jace grew mad at himself for feeling guilty. But still, he felt wrong somehow for taking the smile away. Like he'd kicked a puppy or something. "I was just… he started talking to me. Why? What's wrong with him?"

Jace's frown deepened. "Apart from the fact that he's a pretentious douche bag?"

"And he was raised by pretentious douche bags who named their son Bennett Julius Galloway?" Matt added, frowning.

"He's in Doyle," Craig said slowly, sighing. He had always been the peacemaker in the group, and hated confrontation. He took a lot of shit for it from Jace and Justin, but it didn't really matter. As long as no one killed anyone else. Which, knowing his housemates, was a strong possibility. Especially when it came to Bennett Galloway.

"Which is, of course, bad news," Justin finished for them, and there was a murmur of agreement from everyone at the table.

Alec frowned. "Oh…"

"Not to say," Justin added quickly, watching Jace carefully, "that you were interested in him. We just wanted to warn you beforehand."

Alec turned scarlet, his eyes flashing over to Ben. Jace frowned and looked down at his hands. Everyone else at the table took note of this, glancing at each other.

Ben turned around, feeling Alec's eyes on him, and he smiled. Alec flushed and looked away, setting his attention back on the people at the table.

"Why on Earth would I be interested in him?" Alec asked, feigning surprise. "I've only just met him."

_Funny_, Jace though bitterly. _I was wondering the same thing about you._

**X.X.X.X**_  
_

Later that night, Jace walked into his room to find Alec sprawled out on his bed, asleep. A book was laying open on his chest.

Jace slid it from his roommate's grasp, looking at the cover. _How To Win Friends and Influence People._ Jace snickered, looking down at Alec. The worried and nervous lines of his face were smoothed out with sleep and he looked so… sweet. His hair was ruffled and his breathing slow and even. It had a calming effect on Jace.

"Oh, Alec," Jace murmured with a sigh, setting the book on Alec's bedside table.

Not daring to say his thoughts out loud, he instead kept them in his brain as he got prepared for bed.

_All you have to do is flash a smile and those gorgeous eyes, and suddenly I belong to you._


	4. Initiation

The week went by quickly for Alec. He was making more and more friends, and even found himself getting closer to Jace. While he was still so emotionally cut off most of the time, Alec knew his friend was warming up to him. Alec recognized the second he met him that Jace had some kind of hold on him… It was strange, but Alec felt like he'd known Jace forever.

However, some of the other Asher boys weren't quite so welcoming. Most of them avoided Alec, with the exception of Craig, Matt, and Justin, who were slightly obligated to hang out with him because they were best friends with Jace. Alec was kind of put off by this, since he didn't understand their hesitance, but tried not to think about it. It just made him feel insecure.

He'd also, however unintentionally, became closer to Ben. He knew the Asher guys hated him, but to Alec, he seemed perfectly nice. Even if he wasn't as interesting or captivating as Jace.

Despite his ease with fitting in at Raziel, Alec had gone to bed on Friday with a sick feeling of premonition in his stomach. He couldn't figure out why or how, but he knew something was going to happen that night. Maybe it was the wind whipping against the building. Or maybe it was the way Jace smiled sympathetically at him before he went to sleep.

Needless to say, Alec was only half surprised when, at midnight, he was pulled violently out of his bed, a gag shoved in his mouth and a bag pulled over his head.

**X.X.X.X**

Soon, Alec was entirely aware of his surroundings. Quickly, he thanked the Angel for his heightened senses.

He was in a car, possibly a limo, surrounded by six or seven people. He guessed men, by the strong scent of cologne in the air. However, his kidnappers were entirely silent, giving him no clues as to their age. Still, it did make Alec almost certain they were Nephilim.

After a few minutes, Alec felt a shirt being pulled over him, and he struggled against his bindings. They somehow grew tighter, and he groaned, feeling even hotter. He knew he had to be sweating like a pig, since it was his nervous habit, and he could taste the blood that was a result of him biting his lip. Soon, he felt pants being pulled on him as well, and this time he didn't struggle. He guessed he could do worse than kidnappers giving him clothes. But what would happen when they arrived to their destination? Would they rape him? Kill him? Starve him? Torture him?

Horrible scenarios rolled around in his brain until the car came to a stop. There was a shuffling of feet and the sound of a door opening. He knew some had gotten out of the car, and counted the sound. One, two, three, four, five, six… So there had to be one or two people in the car with him still. The door shut, and he felt the bag being pulled off his head. Alec's eyes stayed squeezed shut for a moment before he opened them, finding himself looking at a grinning Jace. Alec felt a strong surge of relief, then anger. His eyes narrowed.

"I told them you'd probably be less mad if you had something nice to look at," he explained, and Alec wanted to scream at him. Jace noticed this and frowned. "Or maybe I was wrong. That'd be a first." Alec's heart was beating double time as he glanced down at his bindings. Jace's eyes brightened, though there was an emotion in them that Alec didn't recognize.

"Right, sorry," Jace apologized, taking out a knife and slashing at the ropes. "I told them not to, I really did. Some guys can't handle the initiation. Matt beat Justin with a bat when we did it to him." Jace grinned, remembering. After a moment, he looked at Alec, impressed. "You put up a good fight. If it had only been three of us, like it usually is, you probably would have gotten away. I'm proud of you."

Jace removed the gag from Alec's mouth, and Alec coughed, still glaring at Jace. "That doesn't make up for this. You're an asshole! I almost had a heart attack!"

Jace smiled apologetically. "Sorry," he repeated, "but the guys wouldn't treat you the same if you didn't go through initiation. They all had to, and you really wouldn't be an Asher boy if you didn't, too."

Alec sighed, but he knew Jace was right. He'd been wondering why the boys hadn't been welcoming… Well, now he knew. "Fine. Where are we?"

Jace grinned. "Now that you've been nice and scared, we're going to make it up to you. Come on."

Alec raised his eyebrows but followed Jace out of the limo to what looked like an abandoned building. That is, until Jace nodded to a guy who was smoking outside. He opened the door, and suddenly, dance music filled Alec's ears. Jace looked back and grinned, beckoning him inside. Alec followed hesitantly.

The place was huge, and packed with people. However, Alec could barely see their faces on account of the strobe lights. The music (upbeat, kind of sounded like Ke$ha) was way too loud, just the way teenagers liked it, and all he could smell was smoke and alcohol. He looked at Jace, who was still grinning. Well, he couldn't be sure it _was _Jace. He couldn't see anything in this crazy lighting. But he guess that was the point.

"Welcome to Avalon, Lightwood. It's time to party."

Jace ran to the center of the dance floor and began to dance with random people. Alec watched, amused, but feeling kind of awkward. Clubs weren't really his scene, and he'd never tasted a drop of alcohol before. However, Jace noticed this, and was determined to see Alec let loose. He walked to a server, grabbed a drink, and brought it over to Alec.

"Drink it," he ordered. When Alec hesitated, Jace added, "It's part of initiation."

After another moment of hesitation, Alec gulped it down. His head swam, and suddenly he wanted nothing more than to lose himself in the crowd, to forget about everything and everyone. Except for Jace.

"Come on." His confidence at an all-time high, he grabbed Jace's hand and pulled him onto the dance floor. They began to dance, and it was like nothing Alec had ever felt before. It was like, suddenly, time was a arguable concept; he could have been dancing for hours and he wouldn't know it. All he was aware of was his body pressed against Jace's as they danced. Maybe it wasn't Jace. Maybe they just smelled like Jace. Either way, for the first time in his life, Alec became shameless. He became free.

And, the next morning, he would hardly remember that cheeky-looking faerie he saw holding a tray of drinks the same color as the one Jace had given him.


	5. Stolen First Kiss

A few days later, Alec got his aptitude test results back after lunch. He'd done well on everything except for the part he knew he was completely ignorant about, which was Shadowhunter Literature. He looked down at the bottom of the results, and there was a sentence in bold that said:** Scheduled tutoring with Bennett Galloway at library, 5pm every Tuesday and Thursday.**

Alec looked over at Jace, who was reading over his shoulder and frowning. "Today's Tuesday," he was all he said, before walking to his next class.

The rest of the day, Alec had to deal with a passive Jace, protective Asher boys, and an overtly flirtatious Ben. Honestly, Alec didn't understand what the big deal was. So he had to get tutored by someone from Doyle. Who happened to be incredibly hot and clearly liked him. What was the big deal? It's not like it was any of Jace's business - or anyone else's, for that matter - who he spent time with.

"It just seems suspicious," Justin had said that night at dinner. "I mean, no one gets tutored for Shadowhunter Lit. It's kind of impossible, unless you're, you know, bad at reading. Which I know you aren't, since I see your nose in a book 99 percent of the time.

The guys had all shared their opinions on the subject, but Jace had been unusually quiet. Alec wondered what his problem was. He knew that Jace didn't like Ben, but honestly, was he really too upset about this whole ordeal to even trash talk the guy?

After dinner, Alec showed up to the library at exactly 5pm. Ben was waiting there for him with a smile.

"Hey," he greeted as Alec sat down.

Alec smiled back at him, a slight blush coming to his cheeks. "Hey."

Ben leaned in closer. "Look, I don't really have to tutor you in this. It's a subject that you kind of have to learn yourself. Just read the books on the list and you'll be fine."

_So I've heard_, Alec thought, his eyebrows raised. "Then… why am I here?"

Ben smiled, leaning back in his chair. "Because I know people. And I may have wanted a reason to spend time with you."

Alec flushed, smiling. "Oh?"

Ben nodded. "Yeah," he admitted, standing up and offering Alec his hand. "Want to go get a coffee?"

"I thought we weren't allowed off campus," Alec said, hesitantly taking his hand.

Ben shrugged. "Like I said, I know people."

"Okay," Alec agreed with a smile. But he couldn't help hearing Jace's voice in the back of his mind saying, _pretentious douche bag._

**X.X.X.X**_  
_

An hour and a half later, Alec and Ben were trudging through the snow, headed for Asher House. The conversation at the coffee house had felt extremely awkward and forced to Alec, but Ben seemed entirely enthused and insisted he walk Alec back to his dorm.

They stopped at the front door, and Ben turned to Alec. "I should probably stop here," he said, smiling. "I'm not too welcome in Asher."

Alec just nodded, reaching for the door handle. He just wanted to get to his room. Maybe he'd listen to Jace play piano for a bit while he did his homework, like he usually did during the evening. The thought of Jace made him smile.

"I had a really nice time tonight," Ben said, breaking Alec out of his daydream.

"Uh, yeah. Me too," Alec lied. He was turning the door handle when suddenly a pair of lips were moving against his.

Now, Alec had never kissed anyone before. He'd been saving his first kiss for someone special. And, though Ben was not his first choice, he was cute. And he had already stolen Alec's first kiss; there wasn't really much he could do about it now. So Alec wrapped his arms around Ben's neck, and found his mind drifting. He pretended that it was Jace kissing him. That Jace's arms were the ones placed loosely around his waist, pulling him closer. That it was Jace's body he was pressed against, and Jace's hands that were now tangled in his hair.

Suddenly, someone coughed behind them. Alec jumped and turned around, seeing none other than Jace. He looked extremely unhappy.

Alec flushed. Not because he'd been caught kissing, but because of the thoughts he'd just been having.

"Alec," Jace said slowly, his voice commanding and his eyes on Ben, "go inside."

Alec nodded quickly and glanced at Ben, whose eyes were locked with Jace's. They looked like two cats circling each other in the alleyway. "Bye," he muttered before hurrying into the building.

Ben smirked at Jace. "What's the matter, Jace? Upset I took your plaything from you?"

Jace glowered at him. "Ben, I swear to God, if this is some kind attempt to get back at me, end it now. If you hurt him, I will kill you."

"You love him, don't you?" Ben asked, his smirk widening. "The way you look at him… Its like you never want to blink. Sad, isn't it? Falling in love so fast? Unrequited love?"

Jace grit his teeth. "You're disgusting. Don't bring Alec into this. Just because I don't love you doesn't mean you can go after him."

Ben frowned immediately. "You led me on, Jace! You acted like you loved me when you didn't, just so you and your idiot friends could get a laugh out of it," he spat, taking a step forward.

Jace sighed. "Look, I'm sorry. I told you I was sorry. It was stupid and wrong and it would be perfectly acceptable for you to do whatever you want with me. But, by the Angel, leave Alec _out of this_."

Ben rolled his eyes. "I'll do whatever I want with your precious little Alec, thank you very much. And it isn't your choice, is it? It's Alec's. And it seems like he already made it."

With that, Ben started back towards Doyle, leaving Jace to wonder what the hell he'd gotten Alec by falling for him.


	6. Drive Me Crazy

"Why won't you tell me what you said to him?" asked Alec, frowning. Jace, Alec, Justin, Craig, and Matt were all sitting at their usual table, though nothing about this day seemed usual. All the boys were looking at Jace nervously, like he might explode at any minute.

Jace, however, seemed perfectly fine, though Alec knew something was off. To someone who had only known him for a while, Jace probably looked completely okay. But Alec knew better. He knew _Jace _better.

"It doesn't matter, that's why," Jace replied, taking a ferocious bite from his bacon. Matt, Craig, and Justin exchanged a glance.

After a moment of silence, Jace pushed his tray away and stood up. "I have to go see Madame about my French assignment. I'll see you later."

Alec glared at him as he walked further and further away. Justin cleared his throat.

"Listen, Alec… Don't be too hard on him, okay?"

"Yeah," Matt agreed, glancing at the door Jace had just walked out of. "He's not particularly good will feelings."

Alec raised his eyebrows. "What do you mean? Does he really hate Ben so much?"

Justin hesitated before answering. "It's not so much that he hates _Ben_. It's more about how much he cares about you."

Alec was slightly taken off guard. "_Me_? Why would you think that?"

They all exchanged quick glances again, not sure what they should say.

"It's just, he's never warmed up to someone so quickly before," Justin said finally.

"And that's why he's been so quiet lately," Craig explained, his voice slow. "It's scaring him how quickly he's falling - I mean, how much he likes you. As a friend."

Alec looked at them suspiciously. "How do you know this?"

"I've known Jace for six years," Justin pointed out. "I know how he acts."

"Right," Alec said, getting up. 'Well, thanks. I'll take that into consideration."

Once Alec was gone, the guys sighed.

Justin leaned forward in his seat, and the two others followed suit. "I never thought I'd say this, but… Guys, we're going to have to help Jace win his man."

**.X.X.X.X**.

By the time he'd arrived to the dining hall for dinner at 6pm, Jace was exhausted. He'd never had so much trouble holding in his emotions before. Seeing Alec was like a direct hit to his chest every time. He couldn't seem to escape his feelings.

Jace couldn't stop himself from being attracted to Alec. He just couldn't. Did that make him gay? He'd dated girls before, and he'd appreciated their beauty, but he appreciated everyone's beauty. Maybe he was bisexual. Or pansexual. He really didn't feel like putting a label on something so trivial as his sexuality. Why did it need a label, anyway? He liked who he liked. Did it really matter if they were a boy or a girl?

And he liked Alec more than he could describe.

Jace walked into the dining hall, his eyes searching for the boy in question. Of course, he was at their usual table, hunched over a book they were reading in Shadowhunter lit and eating what looked to be a caramel apple. Jace frowned; it worried him.

"I really wish you would eat something healthy," he chided after walking over to the table and sitting down, digging into his food. Alec held up his caramel apple.

"I run on sugar the way vampires run on demon energy," he replied with a shrug. Jace rolled his eyes, and they happened to land on Alec at exactly the wrong time. Alec was licking his caramel apple and pushing the sticky caramel up with his tongue, making little appreciative noises as he did so. Jace's jaw went slack as he stared, Alec obliviously reading from his book as he used horrible seduction torture.

After a few more long, long moments of this, Alec finally noticed he was being stared at. He looked at Jace, his expression self conscious.

"What? Is there something on my-"

"I have to go," Jace muttered quickly before bolting out of the dining hall. He stopped when he got outside, resting his back against the wall and putting his face in his hands.

By the Angel, couldn't he control himself? So what if Alec was incredibly gorgeous, and sexy, and funny, and adorable… No. He needed to stop. He'd had no problem in the past controlling himself. He used to have the best poker face around, and now look at him. Hyperventilating in the shadows because a hot guy had eaten a caramel apple. If that wasn't pathetic, Jace didn't know what was.

Meanwhile, Alec stared at the door, looking completely taken off guard. The rest of the guys, who had come out of the kitchen just before Jace had bolted, sat down next to Alec.

"What was that about?" Justin asked innocently, though he already knew. He'd seen the look on Jace's face just before he took off.

"Good question. He just bolted," Alec said with a frown.

"Maybe you should go find out what's wrong," Matt suggested, matching Justin's innocence. Craig sat silently with a frown. Even if he wanted Jace to feel better, he didn't condone going behind his back like this.

Alec pursed his lips before nodding. "Alright. I'll be right back."

Once Alec was out of hearing distance, Justin snickered. "Probably not _right _back."

**.X.X.X.X.**

Alec quickly walked out into the darkened hallway, looking around. "Jace?" he whispered.

Jace, who was still standing in the shadows, froze. He looked over to see that Alec was squinting into the spot where he was standing.

"Jace, is that you?"

Jace had no choice but to nod. "Uh, yeah."

Alec began walking towards him, and Jace's body started to shake. God, he didn't even want to think about how pathetic he was acting right now. Seriously, all Alec had to do was be near him to make him crazy? Jace's mind was suddenly filled with the appreciatively little noises Alec had just been making. He bit back a groan.

"Hey, what's wrong? You kind of freaked me out just now," Alec admitted, painfully oblivious. Jace shifted uncomfortably.

"I just… I felt a little sick is all," Jace said quickly, and Alec peered at him.

"Well, if you're sure…"

Then Alec licked his lips nervously and Jace couldn't help himself. He grabbed Alec without thinking and pulled him forward, pressing their lips together. By the Angel, it felt so _good _to kiss him. Relieving, even.

Alec stood still as a statue as Jace kissed him, shock radiating through his body. Why was Jace kissing him? What the _hell _was going on?

Suddenly, Jace remembered himself and pulled away. His face was void of any expression as Alec stared at him in shock.

"Sorry. I don't know what came over me. Sorry," Jace muttered quickly before hurrying away. Alec could do nothing to stop him, still frozen into place. He stared there for another long moment before kicking the wall.

"_Shit!_ Shit, shit, shit, shit, _shit_!" he hissed, putting his face in his hands. What the _hell _was wrong with him? He'd just gotten exactly what he'd been fantasizing about since he'd come to Raziel, and had blown it in all of thirty seconds.

Alec quickly hurried back to the room, not able to bare the thought that he would have to sleep in the same room as someone who probably hated him now. When he got into the room, he saw that Jace was in his bed and hidden under the covers. Alec frowned and got ready for bed, taking his time. He was really in no rush to have complete silence.

When he was finished, he crawled into bed, staring at the lump across from him. He could see golden blonde hair poking out from the top of the blanket, and the way Jace was breathing made it clear he was only pretending to sleep.

After a long moment of deliberation, Alec got up out of bed and walked over to Jace's. Jace was pressed up against the wall, which was how he usually slept, and Alec pulled up the blanket, sliding into bed with him. He heard Jace's breathing stutter as Alec kissed the back of his neck. Alec turned the other way around so his back was to Jace, and after a few long moments, he felt the bed shift and Jace's arms wrapped around him. Alec settled into them and closed his eyes.

Some apologies were better left unsaid.


	7. Fever

_Okay, so, I know 99% of you probably want to kill me right now, since I haven't uploaded in so long. _

_But I swear I would have, if I had been inspired. I wasn't entirely sure what to do with this story, but I had a brainstorm today, so I suppose we're back on track. (:_

_ Thanks for your patience!_

* * *

When Jace woke up the next morning, he would have sworn on the Codex that last night had all been a dream. But when he became fully aware of his surroundings, he felt something warm and soft in his arms, and slowly opened his eyes. He smiled.

Alec lay beside him, curled up and looking considerably like a cat. His breathing was even and his face smoothed out, making him look incredibly peaceful. Jace thought it was a nice contrast from his usually nervous air. He shifted so he could run his thumb lightly across Alec's pale cheek.

There was a flutter of eyelids and a moment later Jace found a bewitching pair of blue eyes looking up at him.

"Morning," Alec murmured with a smile. Jace chuckled.

"You're never this agreeable in the morning. I should sleep with you every night."

Alec flushed and rolled his eyes. "You're never gonna get over that whole book-throwing thing, are you?"

Jace shook his head. "No. I'm traumatized for life, my friend. Paper bound together with a hard cover? Forever my kryptonite."

Alec rolled his eyes again and grabbed a pillow, smacking Jace over the head with it. Jace was too disoriented at the moment to duck, and gasped as the pillow made its impact. Alec laughed and made a soft squeaking noise when Jace pushed him back on the bed, pinning him down by his wrists. Alec and Jace laughed for a few moments before it slowly stopped; they finally realized their position.

Jace stared down at Alec, and Alec stared back up, giving an almost imperceptible nod. Moving slowly, trying to show Alec that he _could_ behave, despite his dramatics in the hall yesterday, Jace pressed his lips to Alec's. He tasted like toothpaste, despite the fact that it had been at least nine hours since the boy brushed his teeth.

The kiss went a little deeper than it had last night. Jace's hands continued to pin Alec's over his head, neither of them really realizing it. Alec squirmed underneath Jace a bit, and Jace smirked, running his tongue over Alec's bottom lip. Shuddering, Alec began to open his mouth a bit wider…

"Hey, Lightwood, have you… HOLY SHIT."

Jace and Alec snapped up, immediately moving away from each other. They glanced up to see Matt, grinning ear-to-ear.

"Dude, Craig totally has to polish my weapons for a month because of this. Thank the Angel! I was right!"

Alec was bright red, but Jace merely laughed. "Nice, man. Anyway… why are you here?"

Matt's face brightened in remembrance. "Oh, right! I was going to ask Alec if he got the invitation for the Defense Against Magic class."

Alec nodded, still a bit red. The envelope had shown up on his and Jace's beds. Apparently, the seminar was only for the most skilled hunters. Alec was surprised, but definitely felt flattered. "Uh, yeah. Jace and I both got it yesterday."

Matt smiled. "Good. You guys might want to get ready. The seminar is in half an hour." He left, with one last smirk at the two.

Jace sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "Well. I guess we should. Get ready, I mean."

"Yeah. I guess." Alec paused for a moment, before glancing at Jace. "… But we have been known to be able to get ready in five minutes, haven't we?"

Jace grinned at him, pushing the brunette back onto the bed. "I like the way you think, Lightwood."

* * *

"Ugh, fuck this guy. I know he has a reputation for being fashionably late, but forty five minutes is just insane," Justin complained, sitting back in his seat with an annoyed expression.

Jace, however, could not care less about the guest speaker. He sat between Justin, Craig on his friend's other side, and Alec. His hand currently rested on Alec's knee, who was blushing all the way to his ears. Jace loved it when Alec blushed, and he was doing everything he could to make it happen, much to his friends' distaste.

"You know, this seminar isn't mandatory," Justin reminded them, making a face. "You could always… Oh, I don't know…"

"GET A ROOM!" Matt yelled from across the mini-auditorium. All the boys turned to look at the direction he was yelling, and Alec sunk low in his chair while Jace smirked.

"I would, but I spent all my money on getting one with your sister!"

Matt rolled his eyes, but grinned before glancing at Alec and turning in his seat. Jace suddenly realized who was sitting next to him, and his eyes widened slightly.

"Uh… Just kidding," he muttered, looking down at Alec briefly.

Alec blinked, looking a bit confused as to why Jace was sharing this with him. "Um, I know."

Jace was about to respond when Ben seemed to materialize next to Alec.

"Alec," Ben murmured softly. "A quick word?"

Jace's expression darkened slightly, but Alec frowned, giving Jace a comforting glance before standing.

"Sure."

Jace watched them walk away, glowering. Justin let out a low whistle. "The expression 'If looks could kill' comes to mind…"

Jace didn't say anything, continuing to watch the two talk. It looked entirely civil, with Alec standing a good five feet away from Ben, but Jace still didn't like it. Ben, like all of the rest of the Doyle boys, could be extremely sly and manipulative when they wanted to.

After around five minutes, Alec walked back and sat down next to Jace, his face expressionless.

"What did _Galloway_ have to say to you?" Jace asked, frowning deeply. Alec looked slightly taken off guard by his hostility.

"Um, he just wanted to know what was going on with us. You and I, I mean."

Jace raised his eyebrows. "So? What did you say?"

Alec's expression was puzzled. "I told him the truth. That I didn't know."

Frowning, Jace began to reply, when the Headmaster Lore began to speak. Alec turned his head to listen, and Jace grit his teeth but did the same. He could talk to Alec later.

Headmaster Lore was a thin, tall man, with absolutely white hair and cloudy blue eyes. There had been an ever constant rumor that he'd lost both of his eyes to a Greater Demon, and the eyes he had now had been made by a warlock in Japan called Genichi. Regardless if the rumor was true or not, the Headmaster's eyes never failed to unnerve the students. "Thank you for joining us, boys. Now, you all are our best and brightest here at Raziel, and we've decided to give you a special treat."

"A lesson," Justin muttered with a roll of his eyes. "Some treat."

"So, we have brought in the top professional to teach you how to properly defend yourself. He has requested that he introduce himself, so I will allow him to take the floor and do just that."

Everyone clapped politely as the Headmaster moved aside, and they watched curiously, their eyes widening, as the "expert" walked onto the stage.

He was an extremely handsome man, that was for certain. His eyes looked catlike, a perfect combination of gold and green. It looked like he'd rolled around in glitter before he arrived; his face, body, and clothes were all caked with the stuff.

Jace glanced over and saw Alec's eyes widen slightly. Looking back, Jace saw the man's own eyes sweep over the room before landing on Alec, his lips quirking up into a secretive smile.

"Hello," the man said, as if he were speaking directly to Alec. "I'm Magnus Bane."


	8. Golden Boy

_Gah! I know, again, it's been forever, but this time it was final exams for classes. I'm not quite done with school yet, but I did manage to finish this chapter. I promise to try to update more during the summer, but it will be just as busy as the school year._

_Also, I know it's really short, but my chapters are all really short, so it's not a surprise. I was going to make it longer, but a certain friend of mine forced me to finish tonight.  
_

_Anywho. Here you go. ^.^_

* * *

The whole three hour seminar would have been interesting and helpful, had Jace not been so distracted by Magus's ever constant gaze on Alec, who seemed like he was staring right back. No one else seemed to notice this, too busy laughing at all of Magnus's jokes and in raptures with everything he was saying.

"Man, this guy was totally worth the wait!" Justin whispered enthusiastically, and Jace grimaced when he saw Alec nod and smile in reply, his eyes never leaving Magnus.

"He's alright," Jace muttered, and Justin looked at him, raising his eyebrows and smirking. He'd known Jace long enough to know exactly what was going on in that brain of his.

"Cool it, Jace. It's not like we'll ever see him again," Justin whispered so that Alec couldn't hear.

"… I am also a substitute for the French professor, as she is on maternity leave. If any of you wish to ask me any questions, that is where I'll be," Magnus said happily, his eyes flashing to Alec again.

Justin swallowed, looking over at Jace. "… Or not."

"God, he was so amazing, wasn't he? He knew exactly what he was talking about," Alec gushed, Jace walking stiffly beside him. It had been like this for the last ten minutes, Alec gushing about Magnus while Jace stayed quiet. Finally, though, he replied.

"Well he is a warlock," Jace pointed out quietly. "He's probably killed a Shadowhunter or two in his day."

Alec frowned at Jace. "You don't know him, Jace. Don't say that."

"Oh, and you do?" Jace snapped, and instantly regretted it. Alec's face sort of fell before going into an unreadable mask.

"I don't know what your problem is, Jace, but until you figure it out and adjust your attitude, I'd really appreciate it if you didn't talk to me."

Alec walked away quickly, leaving Jace shocked into silence. Well. He didn't know Alec had it in him to be snippy.

* * *

Alec was walking quickly down the hallway, when he bumped into non other than Magnus Bane. Magnus looked a bit irritated at first before he saw who it was. Immediately, he smiled.

"Well. What a cliché, romantic-comedy way for us to meet," he commented as he extended his hand. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Magnus Bane."

Alec eagerly shook his hand. "Oh, yes. I know. I just saw your seminar. You were amazing. The talk about demon energies? Absolutely inspired," Alec told him quickly, then blushed. "Oh, and I'm Alec Lightwood."

Magnus gave a smirk. "Well, Alec Lightwood, I'm so happy you liked my lecture," he said, pulling his hand away and tapping his chin with his finger. "I do hope that you liked it enough to help me with something. I need an extra pair of hands to help me move things around in the French room. Would you mind?"

Alec quickly shook his head. "No. No, sir, absolutely not."

Magnus smiled. "Wonderful. And please, do call me Magnus."

The Shadowhunter smiled awkwardly. "Alright… Magnus."

Nodding, Magnus led Alec to the French room. Though, because the dark-haired Nephilim was standing in front of the warlock, he didn't see him toss a glittery wink at a certain golden haired friend of his.

* * *

Jace, having run after Alec when he got his bearings, witnessed this whole exchange with a deep frown. And when Magnus winked at him… he might as well have slapped him across the face. The feeling would be the same.

_Fine_, Jace thought, storming back to his room. _If that's the way you want to play it, that's how I'll play._

If Jace had to compete for Alec's affections, that was what he would do. It was worth it.

Jace walked back to the dorm and immediately got on his laptop, opening iTunes. It would be cheesy, he knew, but Alec had once mentioned that he liked good, old fashioned cheese. So he popped a blank CD into the computer and began scrolling through his songs.

About five minutes later, Justin entered the room. "Hey, Jace. I was wondering if you were okay after… Wait. Are you making a mix CD?" he asked, incredulous.

Jace nodded. "Yep. For Alec."

Justin raised an eyebrow. "… Why? Is it his birthday?"

Shaking his head, Jace took the freshly burned CD out of it's case. "Nope. I've gotta win him. So I'm making him a CD."

Justin stared at him for a long moment before busting out in laughter. "Okay… First of all, you've already won him, haven't you? I mean, Matt told me he found you guys all cozy this morning in bed together. Second of all, if he isn't yours, you honestly think it would just take a CD? Alec is harder to crack than you give him credit for. He's not just one of the girls you pick up at Taki's. He's golden."

Jace looked up at Justin with a scowl. "Do I have you to compete with too?"

Laughing, Justin shook his head. "Nah, man. I'm as straight as a line. But I do know quality when I see it, no matter what gender. You both have it, and you mesh. If you could just get your fucking acts together you'd be perfect."

Jace clenched his jaw. "Well, this is just the first part of the plan. Trust me, Justin."

Justin shrugged. "Do whatever you want. Just don't be an asshole and fuck it up. I actually like this kid and I'm afraid he won't hang out with us anymore if you're more of a dick than usual."

* * *

When Alec arrived home, it was late. Not ridiculously so, but late enough to be dark. He glanced around the room for Jace, but couldn't find him. But what he did find was a note and a CD on his bed. He picked both up curiously, reading the note first.

_Alec, I got a pass to go to my godfather's for a few days. In the meantime, here's a CD to help you think of me while I'm gone. Also, sorry for being such a giant dick in the hall today. Hope you've forgiven me by the time I get back. -Jace._

Alec smiled a bit and put the CD in the player, laying down on his bed and staring at the ceiling. Though he'd spent all day with Magnus, and found out he was gay, he'd spent the whole day thinking about why Jace may have acted in the hallway. The only reason he could think of was that Jace had been… well, jealous. It was a strange thought, but it was the most probable.

Closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep, Alec thought of Jace, and wondered if Jace was thinking about him. Which, of course, he was.


End file.
